


sleeping beauty

by edensnotwriting



Category: The Cruel Prince, The Folk of the Air - Holly Black, The Queen of Nothing - Fandom, The Wicked King - Fandom, judecardan - Fandom, jurdan - Fandom
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Jude and cardan, Sleeping Beauty AU, cardan greenbriar - Freeform, jude duarte - Freeform, jurdan - Freeform, soft, wicked king era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23960311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edensnotwriting/pseuds/edensnotwriting
Summary: While practicing mithridatism, Jude has accidentally given herself an excessive dosage. Cardan tries to figure out what to do, but the only supposed cure is true loves kiss.
Relationships: Jude Duarte/Cardan Greenbriar, JudeCardan, Jurdan
Comments: 2
Kudos: 89





	sleeping beauty

“Cardan!” A voice called, the Roach, I recognized. 

I was at my leisure, lounging in my bedroom. I decided against hosting courtiers tonight and drinking my head off, even though I knew it was most likely to draw attention when I strayed away from my usual behavior and expectations. I had just not been myself lately.

“Yes?” I asked. His voice was plagued with worry, which had me on edge as I gathered myself and tied my robe, sweeping my hair out of my face. I had never feared the worst, though. I could not stand to get myself worked up.

He burst through the door, his green skin looking as pale as I had ever seen it. He was out of breath, looking as though he ran here. And I guessed he did not run very often. 

“It- It's Jude.” He spit out, gulping in gasps of breath.

I felt the worry flood my body, I stood still. I couldn’t move. The roach might as well have punched me in the gut. It felt like I couldn’t breathe. The realisation crashed down on me.  _ Please. She can’t be dead. Please don’t let her be dead. _

Jude and I were not on the best of terms, I still hated her for making me the High King, a role I was not the most keen on playing. But I didn’t want her dead. I never did. And as much as I hated to admit it, I needed her. She made herself at home in my head, occupying my thoughts often. I hated her even more for it. But even with that, I would rather think of her for the rest of my days, her kiss plaguing my thoughts, than have her dead. She was seneschal. And she was in whatever relationship we had formed. I couldn’t rule without her. I just couldn’t.

“She is in her room. Come quick.” Roach said as he worked to steady his breath.

His description of the situation was vague, but I didn’t need to know anymore. Jude was in trouble. I needed to be there. And so I ran. 

I knew the way to her rooms, and Roach followed behind me. My hair was in my face, but I didn’t stop. I had to be there, I had to run. I was out of breath by the time I got to the room. The Ghost was in the corner, pacing. Probably figuring out a solution. The Bomb was at the side of her bed. 

  
I slowly walked over, the Bomb looked back at me solemnly. I looked at Jude, taking in her awful beauty. She was pale, and she looked sickly. Her face was drained of color, her brown hair sprawled messly around her shoulders and on the bed. Her brown eyes, the same one that filled my dreams and my nightmares, were closed. She looked still. She looked- No. She couldn’t be gone. I refused to believe it.

“What happened?” I said, but it came out all breath. 

The Bomb’s eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying. 

“She has been poisoned. She was poisoning herself, to build immunity. She took too much and…..will slumber for 1,000 years.” The Bomb choked on the last part. It seemed neither of us wanted to fathom Jude being gone. 

“There must be a cure, surely. Someone must know.” I tried, I pushed back the tears threatening my eyes. I tried my best to hold my composure. 

But the Bomb only shook her head. “The only cure known is true love’s kiss. But it's all a myth, it would never work.”

No, it couldn’t be. There were a thousand different roots and plants and things in the faerie that worked as cures for almost everything, surely there had to be something. I had to believe that. This wasn’t the end. This wasn’t how it's going to be for a thousand years.

“No, there has to be something else. Did you look? Are you sure you asked everyone?” I asked.

“No. That's the only thing we know. There is no cure.” The Bomb finished, as she started crying again.

“Well have you looked everywhere?” I started, feeling my face get hot and my voice rising. “She must have loved someone, truly. Her sisters, her brother. Oak, Vivienne, Taryn, has no one asked them?”

“It is only said romantic love.” The Bomb replied, her voice near a whisper.

This was it. There was nothing else that could be done. Myths were myths. That's all they were. Untrue.

I stood there in silence. The bit of hope I had disappeared and I was left with only a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I hated Jude. But I hated the thought of her being gone even more. And there was nothing we could do, nothing we could say. She wasn’t coming back.

“Please. If I could have a moment alone with her.” I whispered, staring at the floor. Feeling almost embarrassed at my request. The Ghost and the Bomb nodded and quietly left the room with the Roach. 

I slowly walked over to the bed. She looked ethereal. Happily in a deep slumber. No trace of misery. At Least she could be at peace. I reached for her hand. It was cold. I ran my thumb over it softly, as if any sudden movement would wake her up. Even though that wasn’t the case. 

Her face was drained of color, but her lips were still a soft pink. I think back to the time she kissed me with those lips, to when she had a knife to my throat as she did, a soft laugh escapes me as a tear flows down my cheek.

“Oh, Jude.” I whisper. I bring her hand up to kiss it. “I can’t decide if I hate you more now that you’re gone. I don’t know why, but it seems I already miss your orders and annoyances.” 

It can’t work. I know that. But I am not ready to just diminish all possibilities. What else is there left for me to do?

I sigh before I do what I am about to do. If she woke up after this, I can’t even imagine how mad she would be at me. 

I bring my lips to hers. Soft and warm. I close my eyes against her cheek and pull back immediately as I feel something against mine. Eyelashes. Her eyelashes.

I look at her as I pull away to find her eyes are open, she's awake. She's back. She isn’t gone. 

For a moment, I think she is mad. She sits up and looks at me as though she has never seen me before. 

She brings her lips back to mine. Her fingers run through my hair and I bring my hand back to her cheek. I can’t imagine how much she hates herself for wanting this, for initiating yet another kiss. But it doesn’t matter. I’m so overwhelmed with relief and the feeling of our lips sliding together. One kiss going to the next. She doesn’t look at me when she pulls away, instead placing her head on my shoulder as she wraps her arms around me. I pull her tighter.

“I’m glad you’re back.” I manage. We just shared a kiss, but I am not ready to tell her how I really feel about her return, how much I would have been filled with grief if she wasn’t here. Even if it was for only 1,000 years.

“Me too.” She says.

We hold each other for a while. A sense of happiness filling the air as roots grow from the bed and flowers sprout from the branches. 

  
  



End file.
